Beth Chapman, the wife of US reality star Dog the Bounty Hunter, is confirmed as a contestant on this year's Celebrity Big Brother.

The 49-year-old crime fighter, who until last year starred alongside her husband in Dog and Beth: On The Hunt, announced the news on her official Twitter account after a newspaper report sparked speculation.

The post read: "Beth will be entering the Big Brother house when the new series launches next week in the UK!!!"

She has been more successful than her husband Dog, real name Duane Chapman, who had been due to star in Celebrity Big Brother himself in 2012, but was denied a visa due to the UK because of a 1976 murder conviction.

A source told The Sun: "Getting Beth for the new series is a real coup for Channel 5.

"As reality stars go, she's one of the world's most recognisable, and she's guaranteed to make great telly.

"She catches criminals for a living, she's not going to tolerate any z-lister hissy fits and egos from her new housemates."

Chapman and her husband starred in Dog the Bounty Hunter for eight series until 2012, before the pair started their spin-off where the family help struggling bail agencies apprehend criminals.

Other stars rumoured for the new series include singer David Cassidy, X Factor reject Chloe Mafia, Gogglebox's Chris Steed and Stephen Webb and Geordie Shore's Marnie Simpson.